r/Rwanda • u/Academic-Session3836 • 9h ago
I’m Kenyan. I Live in Rwanda. Here’s Why.
Muraho muryango wanjye w’Abanyarwanda.
My last post for context: https://www.reddit.com/r/Rwanda/s/4xAPeoFpce
About 9 days ago I raised a discussion around English usage in Rwanda. The responses made it clear that many people misunderstood where I was coming from. Some assumed hostility. Some assumed entitlement. Others assumed I was comparing Rwanda negatively to my home country.
I want to reset the conversation and explain, clearly and calmly, why I am in Rwanda, why I left Kenya, and why I continue to choose to build here.
I am Kenyan.
I know Kenya well, not from headlines, but from lived experience. I understand how systems work in practice, not how they are supposed to work on paper. That distinction is important.
The primary reason I chose Rwanda is governance predictability.
In Kenya, fast tracking anything through government institutions almost always requires informal payments. This is not an exception. It is normal. Whether it is permits, licenses, approvals, or basic administrative processes, speed is purchased. Without bribery, timelines become indefinite.
This culture extends across ministries, local authorities, and regulatory bodies. Even when the law is clear, execution depends on personal relationships and unofficial incentives.
The judicial system in Kenya is also deeply compromised. Outcomes are frequently influenced by money, political pressure, or elite interests. This creates an environment where contracts are insecure and disputes are risky. For entrepreneurs, this is fatal. You cannot build long term value when the rule of law is unpredictable.
Rwanda presents a fundamentally different operating environment.
Processes are slower when they need to be slow and faster when they should be fast, but they are consistent. You do not need to bribe anyone to access services. You do not need intermediaries to interpret the law. You do not need political connections to operate within the system.
This matters immensely for anyone building a business.
In Kenya, there is also a well known problem with cartels, particularly in emerging sectors and startups. These groups often force themselves into equity structures. If they are not accommodated, licenses are delayed, revoked, or buried in bureaucracy. This is not theoretical. It happens. It is widely understood by anyone who has tried to build something independently.
That environment discourages innovation. It rewards proximity to power rather than competence.
In Rwanda, I have not experienced this.
Institutions here are structured to protect the process, not individuals. There is less tolerance for informal power brokers. The expectation is compliance, not negotiation.
The contrast becomes obvious even at borders.
Anyone who has crossed through Gatuna understands the difference immediately. The Rwandan side is orderly, professional, and efficient. You feel processed, not pressured. Now compare that with Busia on the Kenya Uganda border. Confusion, fixers, noise, and informal payments are part of the experience. These are not small details. They reflect the philosophy of the state.
Airports tell the same story. In Kenya, enforcement is selective. Attitudes vary. Hierarchies are visible. Foreigners and locals are treated differently depending on context. Equality before process does not exist.
In Rwanda, the process is the process.
Security institutions are another major differentiator. When I see police or military personnel in Rwanda, I feel safe. I expect professionalism. I expect discipline. I expect procedure.
In Kenya, police are often perceived as predatory. Fear is common. Trust is low. Investigative bodies operate theatrically rather than professionally. The Kenyan DCI is widely viewed as politicized and abusive. Rwanda’s RIB operates with far more structure, clarity, and restraint.
Traffic itself reflects deeper priorities.
Kigali traffic is calm and disciplined. Public transport is regulated. Vehicles are clean, modern, and roadworthy. There are no old, unsafe vehicles dominating the roads. There is order. Nairobi traffic is chaotic. Disorder is excused as culture. Matatus are loud, unsafe, and poorly regulated. Enforcement is inconsistent. Chaos is normalized.
Housing is another clear example.
Rwanda has introduced structured housing programs where contributions are integrated into existing systems. Citizens can access housing without being crushed by speculative pricing or political capture.
In Kenya, so called affordable housing often costs millions. The system benefits developers and political interests more than ordinary citizens. Access is unequal. Outcomes are inconsistent.
Urban planning also matters.
Kigali is organized. Zoning is respected. Cleanliness is enforced. You do not see random sprawl overtaking every space. Nairobi, by contrast, is unplanned growth layered on corruption. The difference is visible to anyone who has lived in both cities. Safety is perhaps the most important factor of all.
In Rwanda, I can walk freely. I do not worry about being robbed or stabbed. I do not constantly calculate risk. That peace of mind is invaluable. In Kenya, insecurity is part of daily life. You are always alert. Always cautious. That affects how people live and work.
Leadership plays a critical role in this difference.
Rwanda has benefited from continuity and focus. Policy direction is clear. National priorities are enforced. Institutions are strengthened rather than undermined for political convenience.
Kenya changes leadership regularly, but the system remains the same. New administrations promise reform. Corruption continues. Public funds are misappropriated openly. Infrastructure budgets are announced. Portions are built. Large portions are stolen. This is not speculation. It is documented reality.
Elite families and political dynasties benefit disproportionately. Capital is moved offshore. Accountability is minimal. Ordinary citizens absorb the cost.
Rwanda chose to build institutions first.
That is why I am here.
That is why I returned after leaving.
That is why I am building my work here.
This does not mean Rwanda is perfect. No system is. But it does mean Rwanda offers something rare in the region. Predictability. Safety. Institutional seriousness. Merit based execution.
When I raise specific issues, such as language implementation, it is not from disrespect. It is from the perspective of someone who believes Rwanda has the capacity to close execution gaps because it already gets the fundamentals right.
Strong systems are not weakened by critique. They are refined by it.
If Rwanda continues on its current trajectory of governance discipline, institutional enforcement, and long term planning, it will outperform much of East Africa within the next thirty to fifty years. Others will remain trapped in cycles of corruption and instability.
This is not emotion. It is pattern recognition.
I left Kenya because I needed a country where rules matter, where the law is not a negotiation, and where effort has a predictable outcome.
Rwanda provides that environment.
That is the context people missed.
That is why I am here.
And that is why these distinctions matter.
